On the third weekend of October, seemingly all of Japan descends on Kawagoe for the Kawagoe Matsuri. And apparently they’ve been doing so for the last 360 years!
The first Kawagoe Festival was held in 1648 and has evolved over the last three centuries into a magnificent spectacle that engulfs about three square miles of central Kawagoe. Towering two-story festival floats with oversized “dolls” representing 29 neighborhoods of Kawagoe parade through the streets, a tradition as old as the festival itself. Such an important tradition that, in 2005, Japan named the Kawagoe Hikawa Festival Float Event as one of its National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties.
The Hikkawase (see video below) is the most impressive part of the event. As the giant floats approach each other on the streets of Koedo, they stop to “battle” one another. Hayashi groups play traditional music and attempt to get the other float to go off beat. Dancers in hyottoko masks face off with one another in a playful series of dances.

Multi-colored okonomiyaki on the griddle. Okonomiyaki is a savory pancake and each region of Japan has its own way of making it.

People were lined up to take their photo with Priya. Legend has it that holding Priya will make your wildest dreams come true.
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[…] at the Kawagoe Festival, the largest and oldest festival in our little slice of Japan. Check out last year’s post for the festival’s history and a video of the […]
[…] caught up with us as we entered the old streets of Yui, which were reminiscent of the old part of Kawagoe. They had planned to make their way all the way to the mountain, but rain on Fuji cut their plans […]
[…] Kawagoe is less than an hour from Tokyo by local trains. In the meantime, enjoy our posts from the 2014 festival and the 2015 […]